Interim report January - March 2010

Interim report January - March 2010

First quarter 2010 - Good growth and continued strong margins

-  Net sales increased 16 per cent (currency adjusted +30 per cent) to 750 MSEK
(647). 
-  Operating profit increased to 87 MSEK (-52), excl. items affecting
comparability 87 MSEK (46).
-  Operating margin was 11.7 per cent (neg), excl. items affecting comparability
11.7 per cent (7.1).
-  Profit after tax amounted to 58 MSEK (-55), excl. items affecting
comparability 58 MSEK (26).
-  Earnings per share increased to 2.18 SEK (-2.07), excl. items affecting
comparability 2.18 SEK (0.98).
-  Operating cash flow totalled 62 MSEK (33).
-  Acquisition of the VTC TPE Group, renamed to ELASTO Group (consolidated from
1 April).


President's comments 
“Our first-quarter result was very strong, with a significant increase in sales
volumes. However, negative currency effects impacted the sales increase,
compared with the year-earlier quarter. We more than doubled our earnings per
share and operating profit amounted to 87 MSEK (46*), up 89 per cent. Our
operating margin for the period was 11.7 per cent (7.1*).

Sales continued to improve, particularly to automotive customers and we are once
again handling this volume increase in a flexible manner. 

We have also further strengthened our position as a leading global supplier of
polymer compounding through the acquisition of ELASTO Group. The acquisition is
entirely in line with our strategy to expand and strengthen our compounding
business. “
			
Georg Brunstam, President and CEO 


For more information please contact:

Georg Brunstam		
President and CEO		
georg.brunstam@hexpol.com	
+46 (0)708-55 12 51		

Urban Ottosson
CFO/IR
urban.ottosson@hexpol.com	
+46 (0)767-85 51 44

HEXPOL is a world-leading polymers group with strong global positions in
advanced polymer compounds (Compounding), gaskets for plate heat exchangers
(Gaskets) and wheels made of plastic and rubber materials for truck and castor
wheel applications (Wheels). Customers are primarily OEM manufacturers of plate
heat exchangers and trucks, global systems suppliers to the automotive industry
as well as medical device industry. The Group is organised in two business
areas, HEXPOL Compounding and HEXPOL Engineered Products, and has about 2,000
employees in nine countries. In 2009, HEXPOL had sales of about 2,600 MSEK. Read
more at www.hexpol.com.